Building Community and Access on the Trail

At Chattahoochee National Park Conservancy (CNPC), our mission is to build community, enrich lives, and catalyze support to ensure a sustainable national park for future generations. A core part of that work is helping increase access to Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area (CRNRA), so that everyone feels welcome, represented, and connected to this incredible public space!


This Black History Month, we’re reflecting on the deep and often overlooked connections between Black history and the outdoors, while also uplifting local organizations that are actively expanding access, building community, and enriching lives through outdoor experiences today.


Exploring Access and Visibility: Who Gets to Feel Welcomed in Outdoor Spaces?

For generations, the outdoors has been a place of freedom, healing, resistance, and joy for all. Yet systemic barriers like segregation, exclusion from public lands, and ongoing inequities have limited access and visibility in outdoor spaces for people of color.


Today, Black-led and BIPOC-centered outdoor organizations are helping change that reality. Through intentional programming, shared experiences, and community-led leadership, these groups are creating entry points into nature that feel welcoming and safe. Their work aligns closely with CNPC’s belief that access to the outdoors strengthens not only individuals, but the community as a whole.

BLK Hiking Club

BLK Hiking Club is where Black hikers can explore, connect, and thrive in the great outdoors. Whether someone is new to hiking or a seasoned hiker, the club creates a welcoming space to hit the trail and feel at home. Through group hikes and shared outdoor experiences, BLK Hiking Club builds community while celebrating Black joy in nature. Their outings (with some taking place within CRNRA) center connection, movement, and belonging, helping make hiking more accessible and community-focused in Georgia and beyond.

By reinforcing that everyone belongs on the trail, BLK Hiking Club plays a powerful role in expanding access and enriching lives through experiences in the outdoors!


Learn more at blkhikingclub.com!

Black Women Adventures

Black Women Adventures Inc. is a nonprofit organization that creates inclusive, community-centered experiences supporting the mental, physial, and emotional well-being of Black women. Through guided hikes, wellness events, and intentional gatherings, participants can expect movement, connection, and restoration—rooted in joy, safety, and sisterhood—while building lasting relationships with nature and one another.


Learn more at blackwomenadventures.org!

Color My Outdoors

Who gets to feel at home in the outdoors? In the Southeast, history has long suggested it isn’t everyone, but Color My Outdoors is changing the narrative. This grassroots nonprofit helps People of Color see themselves, belong, and lead in nature. Through programs like their Wilderness Medicine Scholarship Certification, a multimedia storytelling program, a parent orientation program, and a directory of diverse-led outdoor organizations, CMO amplifies the outdoors as a welcoming and vibrant space in a region where Communities of Color are most present, yet often excluded.


Learn more at colormyoutdoors.org!


Why Access Matters at CRNRA
Increasing access to CRNRA isn’t just about trails, river access, or programming… it’s about people! When individuals feel welcome and represented in outdoor spaces, parks become places of connection and belonging.


By supporting equitable access and uplifting community partners, CNPC works to ensure that the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area reflects and serves the communities that surround it, enjoy it, and have yet to discover it.


Our Ongoing Commitment
As we honor Black History Month, we celebrate both the legacy of Black connection to the land and the ongoing work happening right now to make sure everyone feels they belong when exploring the outdoors. We’re grateful to the organizations leading this work and to the communities who continue to show up, build community, and enrich lives through shared experiences outside. With our community, we can continue creating a national park where everyone feels welcome and where the outdoors truly belongs to all.


Want to get involved? Support these organizations, explore CRNRA, and join us in building a more inclusive future for our national park!

Support Your Local National Park

If you enjoy CRNRA, consider supporting the Chattahoochee National Park Conservancy (CNPC). Your donation helps maintain and improve our beautiful trails and river, ensuring they remain a top destination and escape for metro Atlanta. Every contribution makes a difference in preserving this natural treasure for future generations.

Support CRNRA

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